Huge Fire At Beirut’s Port Causes Panic Following Last Month’s Explosion

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A column of black smoke rises ominously from a fire at a warehouse at Beirut’s port on Thursday. A Lebanese official has said the fire is under control.

Hussein Malla/AP

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Hussein Malla/AP

A huge fire broke out Thursday at the Port of Beirut, triggering panic among residents traumatized by last month’s massive explosion that killed nearly 200 people and injured thousands.

Hussein Malla/AP

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Hussein Malla/AP

The catastrophic explosion on Aug. 4 started as a fire that ignited nearly 3,000 tons of ammonium nitrate stored haphazardly for years in Beirut’s port. It later emerged that high-ranking politicians and government employees had been aware of the massive amount of explosives but did not address it.

It wasn’t immediately clear what ignited the fire on Thursday. Port director Bassem al-Qaisi told local media that it is «too early» to know the cause, and Lebanese Prosecutor General Ghassan Oweidat has called on security forces to conduct an immediate investigation.

Najjar, the caretaker public works minister, told local media that sparks from welding at the warehouse might be the cause. This is also thought to be what sparked last month’s fire that caused the explosion, damaging thousands of buildings in Beirut.

Just last week, more than four tons of ammonium nitrate were discovered in the port during an official inspection. It was removed but stoked anxieties among residents that any fire at the badly damaged port could trigger another blast.

Earlier this month, a surge of hope emerged as rescue teams thought they had detected something miraculous — possible signs of life in the rubble of a building nearly a month after the blast. Sadly, after three days of careful digging, the rescue team concluded that there was no survivor to be found.

• Fire
• Beirut